These Chocolate Crinkle Cookies are a classic chocolate cookie. The cookies are soft and chewy, with a gooey center, like a fudgy brownie. This dairy free cookie is easy and fun to make and will satisfy your sweet tooth. They are a traditional Christmas cookie, but tasty enough to make (and eat) year round!
These are one of my favorite holiday cookies, because they are ones I remember making as a child. We called them Chocolate Cracklers but they were the same cookie – little balls of chocolate dough that are rolled in powdered sugar until they are completely white. The tiny snowballs then spread into cookies with big chocolate cracks showing through the snowy white.
Traditional Holiday Cookies
While I remember making these as a child I haven’t made them in years before this year. This holiday season I was searching for more dairy free cookie recipes, because my son has a dairy allergy and so many cookies contain butter.
I remembered these cookies, dug up the recipe and made them for the family. They were a huge hit, by far the cookies my kids and family enjoyed the most this season – all because of my secret ingredient – coconut oil.
Instead of using canola or corn oil in the cookies I used coconut oil. I thought it would make an interesting mix of flavors, and it did. gave the cookies a very subtle coconut flavor and was amazing.
It wasn’t a strong flavor at all, in fact even the members of my family who aren’t big coconut fans loved this taste. The coconut oil gave the chocolate crinkle cookies more depth of flavor without making them taste like a Mounds bar!
The combination of the chocolate fudge brownie like texture of these soft cookies with the powdered sugar and just a hint of coconut is amazing. I might not have made these cookies for years, but they are going to be a holiday staple at my house now.
My son got so annoyed with his sisters at Christmas time because they kept eating these dairy free chocolate crinkle cookies instead of some of the other non-dairy free ones we had made, like the Russian Tea Cakes and the Cranberry Orange Cookies.
So I am making a big batch these chocolate crinkles to send to my son for his birthday since he is away at college and he won’t have to share them with his sisters.
How to Make Chocolate Crinkle Cookies
The first step in making the cookies is to mix unsweetened cocoa powder with sugar and coconut oil. The coconut oil should be in liquid form for measuring, so you might need to melt it by microwaving it for a few seconds. Then it is just a matter of mixing the cocoa powder, sugar and oil until they are creamy.
Then you add the eggs in one at a time, beating well after each, followed by the vanilla. Then the flour is mixed with baking powder and salt and added to the chocolate dough.
The dough is easy and quick to make – but now you have to wait. The dough is very, very sticky, so it needs to chill for about four hours before you finish making the cookies.
Which seems like forever if you are craving chocolate, but the recipe really won’t work if you don’t let the dough chill. Not only will the dough end up all over your hands, but the cookies will spread too much and won’t be as chewy if the dough isn’t chilled.
So after four long hours you can finally finish making the cookies. Put the powdered sugar on a dinner plate. Then roll the dough into small, one inch balls and roll each ball in the powdered sugar. You want to completely coat the ball in powdered sugar on all sides – more sugar is better!
Then fill a cookie sheet with the white sugary dough balls and bake the cookies for 10 minutes or so. You don’t have to squish the cookies, they will spread into perfect circles as they cook.
These cookies will be soft when they come out of the oven. If you bake them too long the center will not be as chewy and fudgy. I found it is good to let the cookies cool on the cookie sheet for 2-3 minutes before placing them on cookie cooling racks.
Fun to Make Chocolate Cookies
In addition to tasting delicious the chocolate crinkle cookie is also easy to make and fun for kids who like to help out in the kitchen. Kids love to roll the dough into balls and then roll them in powdered sugar. Even with well chilled dough it will be messy though and hands will end up coated with chocolate dough.
This recipe makes a lot of cookies, which means you have more to share. They freeze well and keep quite nicely at room temperature for days. These chocolate crinkle cookies are perfect for a cookie exchange, a holiday party, sharing with Santa or sending to your son as a birthday treat!
The coconut oil should be liquid, so melt it if it has solidified to room temperature.
1/2 cup coconut oil
Mix the cocoa powder, sugar and coconut oil in a mixer until well combined.
1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, 2 cups sugar
Add the four eggs one at a time and mix after each.
4 eggs
Add in the vanilla.
2 teaspoons vanilla
Put the flour in a small bowl with the baking powder and salt and stir. Then mix it into the batter until creamy.
2 cups flour, 2 teaspoons baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon salt
Cover the mixer bowl and chill it for 2-3 hours to make the dough easier to handle.
Put the powdered sugar on a dinner plate.
1/2 cup powdered sugar
Form the dough into small, 1 inch balls and roll the balls in the powdered sugar.
Place the balls on a cookie sheet and bake for 10-12 minutes.
Let cool on the cookie sheets for 2-3 minutes before cooling on wire racks.
Notes
You really, really can’t skip chilling the dough.
Other oils besides coconut oil will work fine in this recipe. But the subtle coconut flavor enhanced the chocolate flavor of the cookies, so I’d recommend trying it.
Be careful not to over bake the cookies, they are supposed to be soft and chewy.
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I love to cook and I want to share my recipes with you. I believe cooking should be approachable and fun, not a chore. I want to make simple recipes using everyday ingredients that you can make again and again, whether it is for a busy weeknight, a summer cookout or a special dessert. Read more...
I’m brad new on the dairy-free journey, thanks to a milk protein intolerance in my newborn 🙁 This recipe was the first dairy-free dessert I tried and I’m SO GLAD I found a delicious chocolate recipe!! Thank you, this was awesome, I followed the directions as-is and even my non-dairy-free husband liked these!
Wow! I love cookies … after watching this there is water coming in my mouth ..
That is looking so yummy …. i am really going to have it
We made these for Christmas, and they were better than most of the cookies that had dairy in them! Thanks for a great recipe!
I’m brad new on the dairy-free journey, thanks to a milk protein intolerance in my newborn 🙁 This recipe was the first dairy-free dessert I tried and I’m SO GLAD I found a delicious chocolate recipe!! Thank you, this was awesome, I followed the directions as-is and even my non-dairy-free husband liked these!
Been looking for this recipe forever! Always had these as a kid, so delicious. Can’t wait to make them!